Michael McGinn
Michael McGinn | |
|---|---|
 Michael McGinn at an Approve R-71 rally | |
| 52nd Mayor of Seattle | |
| Assumed office 1 January 2010 | |
| Deputy | Phil Fujii Darryl Smith |
| Preceded by | Gregory J. Nickels |
| Majority | 105492 (51.14%)[1] |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 17, 1959 Long Island, New York |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Peggy McGinn |
| Children | Jack McGinn Miyo McGinn Cian McGinn |
| Residence | Greenwood, Seattle, Washington |
| Alma mater | Williams College (B.A. 1982) University of Washington School of Law (J.D. 1992) |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Profession | Attorney, Activist |
| Website | Mayor Mike McGinn |
Michael "Mike" Patrick McGinn (born December 17, 1959) is the Mayor of Seattle, a lawyer, Greenwood neighborhood activist and a former Sierra Club state Chair.[2] He built his candidacy around his opposition to the proposed tunnel replacement to the Alaskan Way Viaduct.
Biography
Early life and education
Originally from Long Island, New York, McGinn grew up in a family of eight. He earned a BA in economics from Williams College and worked for Congressman Jim Weaver as a legislative aide. McGinn attended law school at the University of Washington School of Law.[3] After graduation, he practiced business law for the Seattle firm Stokes Lawrence, eventually becoming a partner. He remained a full-time lawyer for Stokes Lawrence until 2006, when he started a small non-profit.
Political activism
McGinn was the founder and former executive director of the Seattle Great City Initiative, a non-profit advocacy group, as well as a former head of the Greenwood Community Council.[4] While at Seattle Great Initiative McGinn oversaw a budget of $160,000 and worked alliances with companies like Triad Development, Harbor Properties and Paul Allen's Vulcan Inc. on environmental and urban development issues.[5] In his capacity as a neighborhood organizer and head of his non-profit McGinn endorsed his future opponent Mayor Greg Nickels and worked with him to bar development of large, commercial "big box stores", eliminate street parking in favor of bus lanes and push for changes in zoning laws to encourage greater density in the Greenwood neighborhood.[6] McGinn stepped down from his position as head of the Greenwood Community Council in 2006 and as Executive Director of his non-profit in March 2009 in order to run for Mayor.[7] In 2007, McGinn used his position as a leader in the Sierra Club's Cascade Chapter to help successfully campaign against Washington State's Proposition 1, a combined road and mass transit measure, in favor of a transit-only measure.[8][9] Later McGinn chaired the successful campaign to pass a Seattle parks levy.[10]
2009 Seattle Mayoral Campaign
McGinn announced his candidacy in the 2009 Seattle Mayoral election at Piecora's Pizza on First Hill on March 24, 2009. McGinn stated that his principal policy positions would center on schools, broadband Internet access and local transportation infrastructure. He expounded on his initial policy proposals by advocating the abolishing of local school boards and replacing them with city officials, replacing private broadband Internet service with a government-controlled utility provider, the replacement of the Alaskan Way Viaduct with a surface street instead of the planned tunnel and greater local neighborhood control of their parking taxes and meter rates. [11]
After Mayor Greg Nickels came out with a proposal to eliminate Seattle's head tax on business on the grounds it was no longer needed and was hurting business and job growth, it quickly became a campaign issue. McGinn opposes overturning the head tax, called the Employee Hours Tax, which taxes business $25 for each one of its employees that drives to work alone. McGinn asserted that Nickels and his opponent Mallahan, who also favors repealing the tax, were "out of touch" and too close to the "business elite".[12]
The McGinn primary campaign was run along a populist model similar to the strategy he utilized as a community and environmentalist organizer. McGinn was known to ride his electrically-assisted bicycle to and from political events and maintained no paid campaign staff. In a surprise upset, aided by exposure in the form of a cover profile from The Stranger,[13] McGinn came in first in the August primary by earning 39,097 votes, beating runner up Joe Mallahan's 37,933 votes and incumbent Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels' 35,781 votes. By October 2009 the McGinn campaign had raised approximately $150,000.[14]
Criticism
Although McGinn's anti-tunnel stance was a major selling point for some voters it received significant criticism from groups like the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce,[15] the downtown business community[16], the King County Labor Council[17] and the Seattle Times which called McGinn's surface street plan "impractical" and claimed it would clog downtown and overwhelm nearby Interstate 5.[18][19]
Despite being perceived as the more left of the two candidates, McGinn never gained the widespread support of local organized labor unions. The King County Labor Council endorsed McGinn's opponent, Joe Mallahan, mainly on the position that McGinn's opposition to the viaduct tunnel, described by unions as a "deal breaker", would cause the city and its unions to lose jobs and billions of dollars from the State of Washington and Federal government.[17][20] McGinn did, however, receive the endorsements of several other unions not in a position to directly benefit from the building of the tunnel, including IBEW Local 77,SEIU Local 925, and UFCW Local 21.[21]
McGinn's policy prescriptions in 2010 for the city budget that include additional furloughing of city employees, has been met with stiff resistance from local bargaining units.
In the aftermath of the election, requests for state employee emails revealed a deep discomfort with the McGinn campaign by state government and transportation officials over McGinn's anti tunnel position. Ron Judd, an aide to Washington Governor Chris Gregoire, sent emails to staff and DOT officials claiming McGinn's position was "BS" and accused McGinn of stoking populist angers and relying on voter's ignorance about funding details to advance his anti-tunnel stance. Washington State Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond described McGinn's budget forecasting as "wild accusations" and in a response to questions her involvement in opposing the McGinn campaign said "I can't stand it when politicians make things up in order to win an election. When people do that, I think it's our responsibility to clear the record. That's my motivation."[22] After the Seattle Firefighters Union Local 27 and the Seattle Police Officers Guild (SPOG) endorsed Joe Mallahan the SPOG President Sgt. Rich O'Neill went on record at a news conference to criticize McGinn's lack of an adequate policy position regarding public safety.[23]
Since running for mayor McGinn's management record has come under greater scrutiny, including his chairmanship of Seattle's successful 2008 parks levy campaign. Members of the Seattle City Council, including Tom Rasmussen, have contended that McGinn mismanaged the effort. The City Council became "alarmed" at what members described as a disorganized effort. The City Council appointed Seattle Parks Foundation Executive Director Karen Daubert as co-chair in order to help save the levy campaign. Rasmussen contends that it was Daubert that "saved the day" for the levy despite McGinn receiving credit.[10] McGinn has also been accused of "push polling" with robo calls to Seattle residents. His opponent Joe Mallahan called the survey (pdf) about the proposed Alaska Way Viaduct "dishonest" but McGinn claims the poll was entirely legitimate research.[24]
Policy positions
Marijuana
McGinn supports the legalization and taxation of marijuana, saying on KUOW-FM, "We recognize that, you know, like alcohol, it's something that should be regulated, not treated as a criminal activity. And I think that's where the citizens of Seattle want us to go." He believes marijuana can be used as a cash crop to offset the city's financial problems.[25] Relevant legislation, House Bill 2401, has been submitted by Washington State Senator Mary Lou Dickerson and is currently pending in the Washington state House of Representatives.[26]
Transportation
McGinn's transportation policy centers on reducing the number of cars in Seattle and expanding biking, walking and public transit.[27] Since his time as a neighborhood activist in Greenwood, to his current position as Mayor, McGinn has pushed for the removal of car lanes and on-street parking around the city in favor of bus and bike lanes.
McGinn's proposed surface street replacement of the viaduct calls for the reduction of cars on that portion of the Highway 99 corridor from 105,000 to 50,000 per weekday.[28] McGinn says that the lost traffic capacity could be offset by diverteing more cars to Interstate 5, the increased tranist use, walking, biking and drivers staying home.
McGinn advocates expanding Light rail in Seattle[25] calling for a public vote in 2011 on a new light rail line for the western side of the city, including Ballard, Interbay, Queen Anne, Belltown, Downtown, West Seattle, and possibly Fremont.[29]
See also
References
- ^ http://your.kingcounty.gov/elections/200911/Respage23.aspx
- ^ Heffter, Emily (2009-08-19). "75% of Seattle voters picking someone besides Nickels in race for mayor". Seattle Times.
- ^ "Meet the Team". City of Seattle.
- ^ "Sections of Seattle still await sidewalks". The Seattle Times.
- ^ Heffter, Emily (2009-08-20). "McGinn: Surprise survivor in race for mayor?". The Seattle Times.
- ^ "Counter Intel: Nickels Is Pro-Neighborhood". The Stranger.
- ^ "Great City is Hiring". Seattle Great City Initiative.
- ^ "Club Clout Helps Turn Tide Against Tainted Transit Tax". Sierra Club.
- ^ "Huge roads-transit plan gets trounced". The Seattle Times. November 7, 2007.
- ^ a b Heffter, Emily (October 11, 2009). "Mike McGinn: Grass-roots style paid off in recent campaigns". The Seattle Times.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|refname=ignored (help) - ^ "From McGinn's Mouth". Seattle Weekly.
- ^ "City: 'head tax' repeal wouldn't threaten transpo funding". The Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
- ^ Heffter, Emily (2009-08-20). "McGinn: surprise survivor in race for mayor?". The Seattle Times.
- ^ "McGinn's Campaign: Successfully Underfunded". Seattle Weekly. Tuesday, Oct. 13 2009.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Message from the Chamber Chair: Setting the record straight on the Viaduct Replacement Project". Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce.
- ^ Young, Bob; Heffter, Emily (2009-09-15). "Chamber group endorses Constantine, Mallahan". The Seattle Times.
- ^ a b "Mallahan wins labor endorsement". Seattle Post Globe.
- ^ "Seattle mayor candidates need to bring positions on city issues into sharper focus". Seattle Times. September 6, 2009.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|refname=ignored (help) - ^ "McGinn's no-tunnel campaign is a no-go". The Seattle Times. 2009-09-15.
- ^ "SGN exclusive interview: Mayoral candidate Mike McGinn". Seattle Gay News.
- ^ http://mcginnformayor.com/endorsements/
- ^ Andrew Garber and Emily Heffter (2009-12-20). "Prospect of McGinn win left state officials uneasy, e-mails show". Seattle Times.
- ^ Brunner, Jim (September 1, 2009). "Police union president criticizes McGinn". Seattle Times.
- ^ Heffter, Emily (October 9, 2009). "Joe Mallahan criticizes Mike McGinn's tunnel poll". The Seattle Times.
- ^ a b "The 'green' mayor? McGinn wants to legalize pot and tax it, too". KOMO News.
- ^ "Mayor-elect McGinn supports legalizing marijuana". MyNorthwest.com.
- ^ "Issues - Planning, Land Use, and Zoning". McGinn for Mayor.
- ^ Mike Lindblom. "McGinn's no-tunnel campaign counts on fewer cars". The Seattle Times.
- ^ "McGinn wants light-rail line on Seattle's west side". Seattle Times. [dead link]
External links
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